Citizens around the nation have begun campaigns to increase awareness for living a healthier lifestyle, but one passionate local 11-year-old has coordinated a series of programs here in Russellville to help reduce childhood obesity.

Bodhi Lovely, a student at UE5G, spoke at Thursday's City Council meeting about three of his initiatives to stop childhood obesity locally.

He invited families at the meeting to Might Nights, a monthly fit night at London Elementary where kids can take part in activities such as karate, Zumba and obstacle courses, and discussed the possibility of opening a concession stand with healthy food options if the proposed aquatic center is built.

Lovely also asked school principals to help implement brain breaks at their school, a short fitness activity for students to take part in between lessons. Lovely had the City Council and local residents gathered for the meeting stand up and do stretches, one of many brain breaks in the program.

Lovely was amused by the reaction many had at the meeting to the stretching exercises, which he led.

“I think it’s kind of amusing how people react,” he said. “I think it’s fun to be a leader and help out at the same time.”

As Russellville’s representative on the youth advisory board for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation at just 11, Lovely is an unlikely but precocious leader for improving child nutrition. A year ago, Lovely raised $1,000 for the American Heart Association when he participated in the “Jump Rope for Heart” fundraiser, where he jumped rope outside of Walmart for five straight days.

“It’s something I think we should stop,” Lovely said of childhood obesity.

Lovely’s passion has translated into pride for his parents.

“We’re elated,” said Kim Lovely, his mother. “It’s exciting, because I think that these issues are really important, and they’ve been really important in our family. We’ve always talked about eating healthy food, and always reading our labels, and we’re really proud that he’s acknowledged that.”

Lovely also plans on speaking at the school board meeting later this month to help promote his brain breaks activities, which started at London Elementary, the elementary school he attended.